Photo Gallery: Minneota vs. Mountain Iron-Buhl
Rolbiecki’s late three-pointer forced overtime at Maturi Pavilion and the Vikings didn’t squander the opportunity. They won 51-48.
Down by 12 at halftime and by 11 with 4:34 remaining in regulation, Minneota fought back.
The players for Mountain Iron-Buhl (27-4) believed their luck had turned after a collapse against the Vikings in the 2021 semifinals. Minneota rallied from a six-point deficit with 2:16 to play and won on a free throw with two seconds remaining.
Sophomore guard Jordan Zubich relished the chance to pay back the Vikings (27-4).
“This one was supposed to be the revenge game,” said Zubich, who led her team with 14 points. “Everybody was looking forward to it.”
Minneota’s edge in big-game situations made a difference as tensions rose.
“We really didn’t think that as the No. 1 seed we were going to get matched up with the defending champions,” Zubich said. “They had experience. They had girls who have won before, and they know exactly how to play at the end of the game. We just can’t seem to ever win in the end.”
“When it came down to it,” Vikings senior guard McKenzie Tolk said, “we were the ones who really continued to battle at the end.”